Travel Tales

24 May

21 Epic Truths About Iceland

Iceland is an enchanting and mystic country that any traveller will be impressed with. It’s a country that is part of Europe however, is just so different, making it a nation that will captivate you. With volcanoes, glaciers, waterfalls, geysers and lakes, Iceland has a landscape that is like nowhere else on the planet. With such unique and surreal natural wonders, Iceland is a country which you must tick off your travel bucket-list. Oh, and don’t forget about the Northern Lights; they make regular appearances throughout the country.

Intrigued by this magical country? Here are 21 epic truths about Iceland.

60% of the Icelandic population lives in Reykjavík

Beer remained illegal in Iceland until 1989

Iceland has the most active volcano area in the world

It has the largest waterfall and glacier in Europe

The last name of Icelanders is derived from their father’s first name

The Icelandic language remains unchanged from ancient Norse which means that 1,000-year-old manuscripts are still easily read

In the last quarter of the 19th century, 20% of Iceland’s population emigrated to Canada and America

The country’s national sport is handball

Approximately 85% of Iceland’s energy is from renewable resources and over half of that is from geothermal resources

The population of Iceland reached 300,000 in 2006

Iceland was one of the last places on earth to be settled by humans

In 2010 Iceland banned strip clubs

Around 11% of the country’s surface is covered with glaciers and about 30% is lava fields

Iceland had the first democratically elected female and openly gay Prime Ministers

Reykjavik is the cleanest capital in the world

Iceland has a population with the longest life expectancy in the world

On average, there is a volcanic eruption every 4 years

There are no forests in Iceland

The consumption of Coca–Cola per capita is higher than in any other country

Iceland does not have an army, navy or air force

In 1963 a new volcano appeared in the Atlantic close to Iceland. It grew to become an island now called Surtsey

Fancy a trip to Iceland? Travel Talk has just launched two tours which cover all the major sites, attractions and highlights. The duration for these tours range from 5 to 8 days and commence in January 2017.